Steam gun and brush combination



C. D. CLOBRIQGE STEAM GUN AND BRUSH COMBINATION Jan. 8

Filed Sept. 27, 1943 FIG.5.

IN V EN TOR.

CHARLES D. QLOBRIDGE ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 8, 1946 UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE.

STEAM GUN AND BRUSH COMBINATION Charles D. Clobridge, Monroe, Mich. Application September 27,1943, Serial No. 504,011

3 Claims. (Cl. 68-222) wherein the attaching means includes means for yieldably maintaining and holding the brush in an operative position relative to the steam gun.

Another object is to provide a combination that obviates special couplings or connecting mean ssuch as screw threads, clamps and other I fasteners that not only are expensive to make and assemble with the respective parts of the combination, but lack the yieldable feature aforesaid.

Another object is to provide a, combination wherein brushes of various sizes, types and styles .may be interchanged upon the steam gun or equivalent fluid supplying device.

Another object is to provide a combination wherein the brushes may be readily connected by the attaching means mentioned to substantialy L-shaped'heads of fluid supplying devices other than steam guns for enabling fluids other than steam to be supplied to the bristles or other rub- .bing or scrubbing elements of the brushes.

Another object is to provide a combination that'accomplishes the results desired with a minimum of parts.

Another object is to provide a combination that is capable of being readily cleansed.

Another object is to provide a combination wherein the separable connection between the parts issuch that either of said parts may be used alone whenever desired.

Another object is to provide a combination that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and eflicient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a steam gun and brush combination embodying my invention;

Figure 2 tional view through the combination;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through the combination;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a slight modification;

is a fragmentary longitudinal sec- Figure 5 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing, A is the steam gun, B is the brush, and C is the means by which the brush is attached to the gun.

As shown, the steam gun A has a handle l0 containing the shank ll of an inverted substantially L-shaped nozzle I 2. Steam or other fluid from a suitable source (not shown) may flow throughconnectlng passages l3 and I4, respectively, in the shank H and nozzle l2 to a. re-

stricted outlet l5 and may be under the control of one or more valves (not shown).

The brush B has a head 20 provided at approximately the center thereof with an oblong opening 2| for the outlet end portion 22 of the nozzle, and is provided on the underside of said head about the opening 2| with bristles 23 for engagement, with the article or object (not shown) to be cleaned. Thus, the bristles 23 are spaced apart to provide a passageway 24 for steam or other fluid from the outlet .l5.of the nozzle.

The attaching means C is flexible, yieldable and elastic and preferably comprises two coil springs 30 and 3| terminally connected to opposite side edges of thebrush head 20 at longitudinally spaced points thereof and forming upstanding substantially parallel inverted U-shaped loops for straddling the shank of the nozzle. Preferably this construction and arrangement of parts is such that the springs 30 and 3| incline toward one another on the shank II and are under tension when the brush head is applied to the outlet end 22 of the nozzle. Thus, the brush B is yieldably connected to the gun A and is yieldably maintained in an operative working position relative to the nozzle during operation of the combination. This yieldable connection will also compensate for any irregularities and will maintain the parts in operative relation to each other while permitting some relative movement therebetween. In this connection it will be noted (Fig. 1) that the outlet end portion 22 of the nozzle is partially flattened and has a tapered extremity 22'. The opening 2| in the brush head is shaped to cooperate with the tapered extremity 22' of the flattened end portion 22 to prevent relative turning movement between the brush head and nozzle and to limit upward movement of the brush relative to the nozzle, while permitting slight transverserocking and longitudinal rocking movement of the brush relative to the nozzle. During some cleaning operations this relative movement between the parts may be very desirable, especially as it is under the control of the yieldable tensioning means such as the coil springs 30 and 3| which maintain proper relationship between the parts.

In Figures 4 and 5, I have illustrated a slight modification wherein only one coil spring 40 is employed to attach the brush B to the gun A and to yieldably maintain the parts in proper assembled relation as aforesaid, As shown, this spring 40 "is terminally connected 'toiopposite side edges of'the brush head 20 substantially midway its ends so as to form an inverted U-shaped loop for straddling" the shank ll of the nozzle [2.

Otherwise the construction "and operation-of the parts are the same as in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

Regardless of the movement or the H upstanding arm or hook 50' for preventingaccidental displacement of thesprings; from .1 said shank when the parts are in assembledrelation.

t. Thus, from vtheforegoing it will 'be r'eadilyapparent that the brush to. the gunA by simply slipping the loop oriloops ;r.ofethe. springs overthe-armor 110011.50 ontothe shank! I, andthen stretching the springssufiicie'ntly by a downwardpull on the brush B to permit insertion of theioutlet end 21 of the nozzle into theopeningil'in thehbrush head '20,. The

resiliency of thespringjor springs/or equivalent elastic means that may be employedin the loops will then maintain the parts in proper assembled I relation foruse during a cleaningoperationi it -LWhen'itis desired to, detach the brush B from the .,gun A, Qthe "brush is initially pulledfdown' to jreeithe outletend 22 of the nozzleffroml the "opening '21 in thebrush head 20, and' is then move' i laterally softhat theloop or loops maybe;

L removedfromthe shank LI and ho0k50.',, ,A difierent brush, may then be applied 'tothegun, or the brush and gun may be used separately; as

I desired,

hwhatluclaim as myinventionis:

,1. A- fountain ebrushiattachment for an inverted substantially 'L-shaped nozzle having at,

mg having correspondinglytapered portions en-,.

gageable with the tapered extremity ofthenozzle to lim'it upwardmovenjent of thebrush upon the nozzle whilepermitting relative frofcking movement between the brush and nozzle and topm- 'vide a load-carrying seat for the'tapered extrem- '7 ity ofthe nozzle when"downwardpressure is applied? thereto from theh'andlejengaging'fshank while the attachment is in us and-the coil spring attaching 7 means consisting of one or I more 'coil f springs I 'vert'ed' substantially veshaped loops for'stradxdling; engagement with the handle'jenga'ging shank" of said nozzle, the length ofsaidiloops relative tothe'distancefbetween the'shankand extremity; of said j nozzle; being such" that said l spring loops alone are operable to hold the head not the brush in 'operativegposition upon :the tapered extremity ofgtheynozzle; said spring loops coil springs or equivalent elastic means thatmight beeIn-j ployed as attaching means for the brush, I preferably providethe shank ll of the nozzle with an B may' be quickly attached being yieldable while in engagement with the shank of the nozzle to permit the head of said brush to be moved by hand from the tapered extremity of the nozzle when it is desired to detach the brush from said nozzle.

2. A brush attachment for an inverted substantially L-shaped member having at one end a handle engaging shank portion and having atv the other end an elongated portion provided with a tapered extremity, consisting ofonly a brush' and coilspring attaching means therefor, the

brush having a head provided with an opening for detachably receiving the tapered extremity of r the member, the walls of said opening being enextremity of the member when it gageable with the tapered extremity of the mem- "her to limit upward movement of the brush upon said member while permitting relative rocking movement between the'brush and member andto provide a load carrying seat for the tapered extremity of'the member when downward pressure is applied thereto from the handle engaging shank while the attachment is in use, and the coil spring attaching means consisting of one or more coil springs'terminally connected to' the head at opposite sides thereoi and pro-V viding inverted substantially V-shaped loops for straddling engagement withthe handle engaging shank of said member, thelength' of said loops relativeto the distance between the shank and extremity of said-member being such thatsaid spring loops alone are operable to hold the head of the brush in operative position upon the tapered extremity of the member, said spring loops being yieldable while in engagement with the shank of the member to permit the head of said brush to be removed by hand from the tapered is desired to detach the brush from said member. I

3. A fountain brush attachment for an inverted substantially L-shaped nozzle having at one end'a-handle engaging shank portion and having at the other end a fluid outlet portion provided with a reduced extremity, consisting of terminally connected to the :head at opposite'sidesthereof and providing in- 7 yieldable while in engagement with the"shank the brush from said nozzle.

only a brush andfcoil spring attachingmeans therefor, the brush having a head provided with an opening for detachably receiving the reduced extremity of the nozzle, the walls of said opening being shaped to cooperate with said reduced extremity of the nozzleto prevent relative turning movement and'to limit upward movement of the brush upon the nozzle-said walls also being shaped to for the reduced extremity of'the nozzle when downward pressure isv applied thereto from the handle engaging shank sisting of a single coilspring terminallyrconnected to the head at opposite sides thereof and providing an inverted substantially'V-shaped loop for straddling engagement withthe handle engaging shank of said nozzle, the length of said spring loop aloneis operable to hold the head of the brush in operative position upon-the reduced extremity of the nozzle, said'spring loop being of the nozzle to permit the head of said brush to be removed by hand from the-reduced 'extremity of the nozzle when it is desired to detach 'CHAFLES D cnoBRmqEf provide a load carrying seat while the attachment is in use, and the coil spring attaching means con- 7 

